Improvement in hats



UNITED STA'I'ES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. NELSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,554, dated August28, 1866.

To all who'm it may cmwem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. NELsoN, of St. Louis, in the county ofSt. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Hats, Bonnets, &o. and I do hereby declare th at thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable othersfskilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a light band or hoopencireling the head, to which are attached. npright side frames for thepurpose of supporting the material with which the hat is covered. Tothese are attached rim frames with a hoop at their extrcmities andanother at the point where they meet the side frames, which point beingabove the band which surrounds the head, a current of air is allowed topass freely around the head, keeping it at all times comfortable.

To enable others shilled in the art to undera stand my invention, I willproceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawings, and the letters of reference marked'thereon, of which- Figurel is a side sectional elevation of one form of the hat having an ovaltop, and

showing the side and rim frames. Fig. '2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a bottom view' of the hat, showing the side and rimframes and their relative position. Fig. 4 is a side sectional elevationof another form of hatJ having a flat top. Fig. 5 shows the attachmentof the side frames to the croWn-piece. Fig. 6 is a portion of the sideand rim frames, showing their attachment to each other.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings shown, A represents a band of steel, or other suitablematerial, of such size as to fit the head. To this band, at equaldistances apart, I attaeh, by means of rivets or otherwise, anysufficient number of side frames, C O C, which serve to support thematerial with which the hat may be covered, and which meet in the centerat the top. I then fasten to these side frames, at a short distanceabove the band A, other frames, D D, of such a length that, being bentoutward, they will support and shape the material forming the rim of thehat.

For the purpose of stil'ening and keeping these rim-frames in place, Iattach to their outer ends a light ciroular hoop, E. I also attach alight hoop, G, to the side frames at their junction with the rim-frames,this givin g the necessary stability to the whole and insnring theproper shape.

The hoops, together with the side and rim frames, may be constrnctedof'brass, steel, or an y other material, as may be most convenient, andof such size as to give great lightness to the hat. The frames are thencovered with brocade or other substance, and the outside of the hat iscovered with cloth, according to the taste of the manufacturer.

Althongh I have only described in this specification the construction ofhats, I do notJ wish to limit myself to these alone, but desire to applythe same to bonnets, or other coverings for the head, as the sameprinciple may he applied to all.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of frames to hats, nor the spacebetween the sweat-band A and the body of the hat for ventilation; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the band A, the coni nected side frames, andrim-frames, with the hoops E and G, substautially as describcd, and forthe purpose herein set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 21st day ofDecember, 1865.

WM. S. NELSON.

Vitnesses GEO. O. FABIAN, BOB. P. ROBINsoN.

